“Odditorium” is a great mix of many different genres from country to punk to neo-pop. From the first track which is nothing more than a narrative about how the band evolved from a jug band to create rock and roll, along the way influencing Gene Vincent, B.B. King, and Elvis, “Odditorium” shows just how odd as well as daring it will be.
The second track, “Love is the New Awful” is far and away the best on the album, which does not at all mean the rest of the album is weak. It is almost ten minutes of everything that makes the “genre” of indie-rock so good. The first half of the song includes faded vocals and distorted guitars before breaking down into what can only be described as a long orgy of sounds. From this point, the bass takes over and is overlaid with random horns. The song continues to break down as the horn section disappears into a string section and wraps up with the synthesizer.
“Love” may be the most daring song on the album but the rest of the album can certainly stand on its own. While going through each song, the listener understands just where the ‘odd’ in Odditorium came from. The third track, “Easy” follows along the same format of “Love” but the album then takes a decidedly different turn. The horn-heavy “All the Money or the Simple Life Honey” is reminiscent of a pop-Chicago. “The New Country” is well… a country song. “Holding Me Up” is the most pop song on the album. The oddest song on “Odditorium” (last time I’ll make the pun) is the brief “Did You Make a Song With Otis?” Looking for punk? Try “Smoke It.”
The Dandy Warhols’ new album, “Odditorium or Warlords of Mars” is one of the most eclectic albums I have heard in sometime. The band has taken some daring directions with the music and the gamble has paid off. Each track is like listening to a different group. Even with songs clocking in at 9:36, 7:32, 7:15, and 11:49, the sound does not get stale and boring. The mix is diverse enough to keep even the most ADD listener interested from start to finish. |